The Hibiscus and the King
by apple.eating.bookworm
Summary: Everyone knows the story of the Pirate King. What very few people know, on the other hand, is the story of Portgas D. Rouge and how she enticed the man who had all the freedom in the world.
1. Chapter 1

**The Hibiscus and the King**

Chapter 1

Rouge stared down at the enormous man lying face down in the sand. She was wondering whether the man was dead when a slight groan snatched her from her reverie. Promptly dropping down, she attempted to flip the man on his back lest the sand interfere with his breathing. Naturally, the feat was near impossible for her slender form, but try she did. Right when her struggles seemed completely useless, the man moved.

That man was pissed. He had been taking on the vengeful mother of all hangovers whilst he laid in the sand and now some stupid animal had decided to start nuzzling him. Heavens forbid it attempted to hump him next, as some animals were prone to do. No, he would stop it before it could even think of the idea. Preparing to slaughter the beast, he rose his head, a fierce grin on his face, and saw… a woman? With a flower behind her right ear?

Her worry dissipated immediately, replaced with a new emotion ten times stronger-fear. That face-there was no doubt who he was, despite the slight layer of sand covering it. Rouge scrambled to her feet and ran past him with a fervor she'd not felt in years. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, a flurry of thoughts ran through her mind. _Why? When? What do they want?_

Upon sighting the small town, her eyes scanned the port for a ship. Despite there being no black flag in sight, she would not calm. They might have lowered their flag or anchored elsewhere. The town was but a small portion of the entire island.

She halted suddenly, catching her breath and contemplating what to do next. She could shout out a warning to all she saw, but that would only cause panic, maybe even a riot. As the panicked girl thought over other options, a familiar voice called out. "Rouge! What's got you in a tizzy? Everything okay?"

It was her boss, the owner of the apothecary. In her hectic state, she hadn't even realized where she was.

"I-I'm fine" Rouge said. "Really." The woman, Mabel, was obviously unconvinced, but dropped it nonetheless.

"So, what are you doing out so early? I wasn't expecting you for another hour!"

"I was, um…" she trailed off.

Thankfully, Mabel took charge of the conversation and steered it to Rouge's comfort zone: work. "How about you get in here and sort out the new shipment? I think you'll like it-there are even a few herbs from the Grand Line. Imagine that! If you finish quickly, I might even let you keep a few. Oh! You left your basket here yesterday… I could put the herbs in it. How does that sound?"

Rouge nodded, allowing Mabel's voice to envelop her. Feeling calmer, the woman dismissed the earlier events as paranoia. There was no way he was who she thought. The sand had probably obscured her vision and caused her imagination to run rampant. Once in the backroom, her mind at rest, she felt utterly aghast with herself. That poor man must have been so confused! Hopefully he was okay and not dying in the spot on the beach.

Sorting the herbs out, she slowly convinced herself that the man was perfectly fine and she had nothing to worry about. Really, at her twenty-eight years of age it was a wonder that she still saw fearful faces where there were none. Surely she should have outgrown that when she realized she knew everyone on the small island and everyone knew her. But then again, his face was unfamiliar. Perhaps he came on one of the newly arrived merchant ships. Should they meet again, Rouge concluded that she'd have to profusely apologize and, just maybe, ask why he was on the coastline.

Suddenly, the quiet woman took note of one lone bag of herbs at the bottom of the shipment crate. That fiend. Unbelievable. Mabel, that sly dog, had gotten Snowdonia Hawkweed-a rare plant whose medicinal properties, if any, were a mystery. It must've cost her a fortune just to get that small amount. She'd probably put up with the price so she could place it on display. Well, at least nobody could say the herbalist didn't have one of the best apothecaries in South Blue, if not all the Blues.

Rouge was truly grateful the woman had took her on as an apprentice, however grudgingly. She loved the work she did as an herbalist and could imagine no profession better. Whether it was sorting out new shipments or helping a customer find the herb for their ailments, her enjoyment never ceased. The hours whiled away and before she knew it, Mabel hurried her out the store, gently handing her the basket she'd left behind the previous day.

Walking down the streets, she kept a watchful eye out for the man but saw neither hide nor hair of him. While exiting the town, she rummaged through her basket and decided to get some wild basil from a patch that had grown recently. It would be a bit of a detour from her usual route, but that was no issue; walking was a pastime of hers.

A hop, skip, and a jump down the familiar pathways, the woman reached the patches. To her utmost horror, she saw that half the patch had been trampled. Unable to help herself, she burst into a tirade of muttered curses towards the being who had committed the crime which involved bestowing eternal foot pains and having whoever or whatever did it eat dirt.

Unbeknownst to her, a short distance away, the object of her anger watched bemusedly as she salvaged what she could into the basket next to her. The watcher, he, resolved to announce his presence by clearing his throat. The watched, she, froze and cursed her nonexistent instincts for not sensing the presence. Slowly, ever so minutely, she turned around to recognize the moustached figure she'd chanced upon that morning.

"You-!" The words no longer flowed, halted by the dawning realization that this man, if even that, was indeed who she'd thought.

The situation amused him. Before him stood the figure of his dreary morning, the woman with the flower. She had an ever-growing look of terror to her and her brown eyes darted nervously in a fashion akin to a trapped deer.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked. His grin grew wider as he stared the frightened dame down, sure of her answer. The fear she emanated was enough to show she knew of his reputation. Well, to be fair, who didn't know who he was at this point?

"You-you… you're…" she stuttered. "Gold Roger."

Almost immediately, the atmosphere changed. If before was strained, now it was pure tension. The sharpest of swords couldn't cut it. The Pirate King's grin faltered and Rouge could see the irritation in his eyes.

Had she been wrong? No. There was simply no way. He was definitely Gold Roger, the king of pirates and only man to conquer all of the Grand Line. No amount of rationalization would convince her that he wasn't. Nonetheless, the man was irate.

"Damn the government… damn newspapers… unreliable journalists…" the man grumbled to himself. It really wasn't that hard to get his name right. Sure, the entire world knew who he was, but what did it matter if they didn't even know his_ name_? Gol D. Roger-that was a respectable name but that one journalist just had to mess it up and mash the first two parts together. Well, it could have been worse. They could have dubbed him Gol Droger. That would have been an even worse nightmare.

So the man continued his mumbling, unaware of the effect his imposing self had on the woman before him. She wondered if she could escape while he remained in that distracted state. But then, what would happen if he caught her? He was a pirate, after all. And not just any pirate-the King of Pirates. She reasoned that he might do that if she stayed anyway. That rambling state from merely being named? Obviously he had some head issues.

Mustering all the courage possible, she hiked up her dress and darted through the trees, away from the infamous pirate and towards her beloved cottage. He shouted after her but she didn't hear. All she heard was the blood pounding in her ears and all she saw was what was ahead. Her hair snagged in branches and her clothes ripped, but nothing mattered to her but reaching home.

Reaching her destination, she scrambled in and slammed the door shut, locking it. Then she went around, locking the windows and yanking the curtains shut. She was taking no chances. Only after she finished did she realize that her basket was back at the basil patch. Rouge deemed it a lost cause and trudged to her bed, falling down into it, utterly exhausted. She felt in her hair for the familiar flower, a hibiscus, but found nothing. So that, too, was lost. Her eyes closed and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Many hours later, in the deep of the night, one man set a basket down on the doorstep of a lonely cottage by the cliff side. After some hesitation, he placed a hibiscus down as well.

* * *

**A/N: **Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read this far! So, this (egad) is my first story. If you spot any mistakes or have critique, please review or send a pm.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hibiscus and the King**

Chapter 2

"Surely you can give me a small sample of this! There's so much of it," the woman wheedled. "I'm certain your boss would have no problem whatsoever with me just taking a pinch."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but we don't give free samples. If you want something, you're going to have to buy it," Rouge said. That woman always tried to coax free samples from her despite her always denying the possibility. Rouge had long since perfected the ability to maintain a tranquil countenance, but that didn't mean the woman didn't grate her nerves. Then again, it wasn't as if she couldn't empathize; herbs could be expensive and the taxes only seemed to rise nowadays.

"Come now! No need to be so aloof- your boss isn't around to see anythi-"

"What exactly am I not around to see?" Mabel had arrived. "Are you harassing my employee again? By the four blues, how many times do I have to tell you? There are NO free samples in MY shop! Either buy or get out!"

The woman scrambled out of the shop. She at least knew that sticking around would infuriate Mabel even more. Rouge almost envied her, for now it would be her duty to calm her irate employer.

"That dimwitted pus-gargler can't just sashay into my shop and try to force my assistant into-"

"Mabel, really, it's fine I'm used to handling her," Rouge attempted to pacify. "That woman comes in all the time; she doesn't mean any harm it's just her nature."

"I bet she's working for one of those old coots who want to overtake this shop! Why, I oughta-"

"Mabel!"

"Rouge, I realize you wouldn't understand the gravity of the situation because you're slightly delusional, but-"

"Delusional? What are you talking about?" Rouge inquired.

"The Pirate King! Yesterday you were running around like a panicked beast and today you came in with that ludicrous story about meeting Gold Roger!" Mabel continued. Ever since Rouge had ran in this morning with that far-fetched tale, she'd worried for the girl and wondered if maybe the girl had gotten into the special stash behind the counter. "Why in the Four Blues would a pirate go here? We're not rich and the marines are sloppy at best! Not to mention, the papers say he's rampaging the Grand Line right now."

"I really did see him," Rouge insisted. It pained her that her trusted employer couldn't believe her. "How could anyone mistake a normal person for that monster?"

Mabel sighed.

"Take a break."

"Wha- I can't do that! There's still so much that needs to be catalogued, and, and-" Rouge frantically spoke. She loved her work and because of that she hadn't taken a break in, well, even she couldn't remember. Why would _anyone_ want to take a day off when they could be in this herbal haven of a shop?

"As your overseer in this shop I am severely worried about your mental health. Have the day to recuperate. Drink some chamomile tea," Mabel continued, ignoring the agitated apprentice. "Until you're in your right mind again, I can't have you working here."

"Mabel, I can still work-"

"Actually," the woman's eyes took on a sneaky glint, "Why don't I join you? I'll close down the shop for a day or four and we can blissfully relax."

"What? No! You have to stay here and work. I mean, what will others do if there's no one here to help them get the necessary herbs?! And-"

"Great! So you'll take my break for me," Mabel cackled as she nudged Rouge to the door. "Have fun, enjoy, and tell me all about it when you're back!

Disgraced and outside of the comforts of the boutique, Rouge resolved to take Mabel's advice and make some chamomile tea, which always soothed her nerves. She halted. Her stores of chamomile had run out a while back and she'd been meaning to replenish them, but she doubted her boss would allow her back in the shop, even as a customer. The best option, then, would be to go up into the hills and find a patch. Go up into the hills where she had gone yesterday. Where she encountered that behemoth.

Rouge stood in the street contemplating the choices before her. She could go home and hope she had some other herb which helped anxiety (unlikely) or she could quickly dart through the forests, snatch up some chamomile from a theoretical patch, and sprint towards her home. The woman was no idiot. She knew the logical choice.

"Oi, get out of the street!" a man yelled at Rouge. She'd been standing in middle of the street, blocking his path for the past few minutes.

"Oh! I'm sorr-"

"Just move!"

Okay, so maybe she was a little absent-minded, but she had a lot on her mind. Maybe Mabel was right. She needed this break. And she needed chamomile to make tea. Tightening her grip on her basket, she started her trek through the winding streets until she was at the edge of town.

Rouge knew her mission: to utilize her in depth knowledge of the forests of this island and take the lesser known routes to reach the chamomile bushes so that she could evade any possible demon lurking in the shadows. Taking the first step outside of the safeties of the town, Rouge looked around, scrutinizing everything for a flash of red or black. Only once she deemed the area safe did she set out at a brisk pace towards her destination.

Surrounded by trees and bushes, she was reminded of why she lived far away from everyone else. There was a peace to be found in these parts of the island, away from civilization. Where the town had bustling carts and shouting merchants, the forest had the calm of the wild. Creatures were all around that made but slight rustles in the grand scheme of the entire ecosystem. Little by little Rouge calmed down from the bundle of nerves she'd been at the outset of this journey. Her wary eye slackened and she no longer found any reason to worry. The forest was enormous. The chances of meeting that person again were miniscule.

"Hey, you!" a gruff voice called out.

No, no. There was no voice. Just the sounds of birds and her rustling dress as she moved down the path.

"You aren't deaf are you? You can hear me right?"

Rouge hurried her pace. She really did need this chamomile tea. Maybe something to help with hearing voices too. And maybe also to help with that heavy breathing she was experiencing. This random hyperventilating could be a serious problem. After all, there was no reason to be scared of anything or anyone theoretically behind her.

Calloused hands grabbed her right arm, but Rouge twisted out of the grasp and continued walking, perhaps a little closer to a slow jog, down the path. Okay, maybe the voice was real and maybe there was actually a person behind her, but she was not ready to face it yet. It could wait until she'd gotten the chamomile. And a knife.

Slightly behind her, Roger was absolutely dumbfounded. Was this civilian ignoring him? He knew he had an effect on others but usually people acknowledged him and then ran away. Well, that's what she'd done yesterday. What changed today? Befuddled, the man followed the woman, silently vowing by the Red Line that she would accept his existence.

Upon reaching the chamomile bushes, Rouge collapsed to her knees. She knew the King had followed her- even the most ignorant person wouldn't be able to ignore the sheer power he emanated. With shaky hands she began picking the flowers from the bush and placing them in her basket.

"Oh so that was where you lived. I wasn't sure, even with the trail you left behind," Roger said as he settled on the ground.

So he was the one who'd left the basket at her doorstep. Against her better judgement, Rouge spoke. "What trail?"

"Y'know, the hair that was all over. It's the same color as my first mate's."

The explanation visibly mollified her. It was a relief that he hadn't stalked her. No, it was merely her own carelessness. Curiosity plagued the strawberry-blonde. "What are you doing here? We're not a rich group of people and there's no special fighting style, or even one of the bigger marine bases."

"Woah, there. It's customary to introduce oneself before interrogating them, yes?" Roger raised one eyebrow, entertained by the sudden shift in the girl. First she ignored him and now had the gall to investigate his reasoning for being here? What a strange being.

"I am Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, known evader of the marines, and strongest man in all the Blues!" He revelled in the rising feeling his titles always gave him.

"I thought… not Gold Roger?" Rouge asked.

"NO! That was a misunderstanding by those idiot journalists!"

"Oh."

"Well…?"

"Hm? Oh!" she was hesitant to reveal her name. Names had power, even civilian ones. "Well... I'm, er, Rouge. Portgas D. Rouge."

How interesting. This slip of a girl had the name of 'D'- Roger had not expected to find another wielder in a tiny place like this. Usually they were found on the seas, in great, honorable places where they brought fame to their names and further established the power of 'D'.

"Why are you here?" Rouge asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in the Grand Line?"

"The Grand Line? No, last I remember I was with my crew in South Blue when I fell in a whirlpool. Then I woke up here yesterday," Roger said. That was a bit of an exaggeration. He hadn't fallen into the whirlpool as much as bet he could beat it in a fight. Sake did crazy things to the mind.

"How did you survive? That's impossi-" Rouge started. Understanding crossed her face. This man was the King or Pirates; of course he could withstand a whirlpool. "When are you leaving?"

Roger's laughter could doubtlessly be heard all over the island. This girl- Rouge- was a fickle one. "Eh, who knows. I don't know where my crew is and they don't know where I am"

For a second, she almost pitied this man- a king has no power without his underlings. Then she imagined what havoc he could wreck while waiting for his henchman. She shuddered at the thought.

"You like adventure, right? Challenges too?" Rouge asked.

Roger nodded.

"Well, there's a tale around these parts that there's a giant sea beast swimming in the waters further South," she Pirate King looked up at the woman, curiosity readily visible on his face. Rouge couldn't help but notice something else- a sense of anticipation underneath. "And, uh, I hear it's killed anyone who's ever tried to fight it."

Roger stood up, casting a shadow over Rouge as she tilted her head to look up at him. He laughed and looked up into the sky. It was still early in the day so the sun was in the eastern direction. "I'm going to beat it."

The man took off on a sprint to the South, the opposite direction of the town.

"How is he gonna get there?" Rouge wondered.

Not that it mattered. There was no monster in the southern waters. Gol D. Roger would find only a few islands thrown about the area. If he even survived. Rouge felt a momentary flash of guilt for tricking him into leaving, but she had to do it.

After all, he was a pirate.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long! I realize it's inexcusable. Shout-out to Amorphous Sapphire who pmed me which encouraged me to stop procrastinating and write this chapter!

Concrit is always welcome. Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites!


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